Hey Brother
by SPNWizard
Summary: Brody always dreamed of reuniting with his brother. And when he got his wish, he thought that he could finally put the past behind him. However, Brody's still dealing with the after effects of his time on the Warrior Dome. When Levi starts distancing himself for no apparent reason, Brody is worried it was because of something he did. And he will do anything to make things right.


**Rated T for the following: Some Coarse Language, darker themes behind Bordy's time as a prisoner, and some action sequences.**

* * *

Brody had always dreamed of reuniting with his brother. Ever since he'd been kidnapped on the Warrior Dome, he couldn't think of anything else. No matter what the task, he'd always find himself wondering where his brother was, what he was doing and if he was okay. Did Aiden even know that Brody was alive? What happened to their father? Was he dead? Was he just injured?

Those thoughts kept him preoccupied as he found himself doing work on the ship's engines, cleaning the hallways, and even when he'd take his ice-cold showers.

He remembered his time as a prisoner, it was hard to forget the tortures he'd endured. The limited rations, the ice-cold showers, the freezing bed quarters, the beatings, the "training sessions" where he was used as a practice dummy... The thing that haunted him the most, though, was the mind torture.

He was a failed experiment, to say the least. They meant to create him into a brainwashed warrior, but all they got instead was a depressed teenager who sought out revenge for being separated from his family.

Brody had been alone for so long on the Warrior Dome before he met Mick. The shape-shifter had been a resident on the ship for ten years before they captured Brody. However, after everything that had happened leading up to his kidnapping, Brody found it difficult to trust anyone but himself.

Then Mick saved his life and everything changed. They became best friends.

When the time came to escape finally had arrived, they didn't really think of the repercussions as they jumped ship with the Nexus Prism. Redbot had helped Brody land safely while Mick turned into a boulder and plummeted towards the earth. That's how they got separated.

Brody had passed out somewhere in between plummeting and crash-landing. When he had came to, he found himself lying on the forest floor when Redbot requested his assistance as the robot struggled to get to his feet.

When he tried to contact Mick, his wrist communicator proved to be damaged and he cursed his bad luck.

However, imagine his delight to have turned around and found the Nexus Prism embedded into the ground behind him.

Then came the fight with Korvaka and his first meetings with Sarah and Preston. The last thing that Brody had expected was to pull out the Red Ninja Star, and his two new friends pulling out the Pink and Blue stars.

Morphing for the first time felt like a small victory, a step in the right direction to avenging his father and finding his brother.

After the Nexus Prism took off, Brody ran off towards his childhood home, Sarah, Preston and Redbot hot on his heels.

He still remembered the initial heart-breaking moment when he got to the place, only to find the home abandoned. He remembered having a small breakdown, a million thoughts swirling in his head. Where was his brother? Was he alive? Did he give up on Brody? Did he think that Brody was dead? What happened to him? Was he also a prisoner?

But life went on.

He befriended the White and Yellow Ranger, Hayley and Calvin, who were a very cute couple. He befriended Sarah and Preston and he went on to lead the Ninja Steel team.

All the time that passed between then, he never stopped thinking about his brother. Always wondering where he could be, if he was alive, or if he was scared and alone on an alien space ship. He was also dealing with the different atmosphere of having a some-what normal life. He wasn't used to the warm showers, unlimited food, the comfortable beds... It almost seemed wrong, but it felt so right at the same time.

If the others questioned his strange behaviors of eating like he was starved for a long time, or why he takes steaming showers... well they never brought it up.

There were the nightmares too. Those were a pain to deal with and a lot harder to hide.

When he first came back to Earth, Calvin had offered for Brody to room at home with him and is mother while the Red Ranger fixed up his childhood home. He remembered waking up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat with Calvin's worried face hovering above him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Calvin offered.

Brody just shook his head and replied quietly, "No, not really."

Calvin accepted his wish and climbed back into his own bed, drifting off not long afterwards.

For the first few nights, there were nightmares, but after that it became much easier to hide them from his friends.

The nightmares always varied. Sometimes it was the torture, sometimes it was Aiden dying at the hands of Galvanax, or his father's fate playing on constant replay... Brody wondered how he had gotten so messed up, but he just put those thoughts aside and decided to stay strong. He had to make his brother and father proud of him. And he couldn't do that if he had a mental breakdown.

After a few months, Brody began to adjust to the normal life he's been living. He was pleased to say that the nightmares had subsided, he was gaining back the much-needed weight he had lost, and he was starting to build up the muscle that had been taken away when he was nearly starved on that ship.

Another month later and they met Levi.

Brody wasn't entirely sure what it was about the musician that made him so easy to trust. Maybe it was that sense of familiarity that he couldn't quite place, or maybe it was his selfless nature. However, Levi also took an immediate liking to him and even made Brody his body guard after the Red Ranger saved his life from a monster attack.

Then came the revelation that Levi was actually the Gold Ranger that had mysteriously appeared at a few fights. At the same time, Levi found out the other Ranger's identities. Since that fight, Levi and Brody had become best friends.

Another month had passed when Madame Odius created what Brody had thought was his brother, Aiden.

He remembered seeing his "brother" and just knowing it had to be him because of the personality he had. It was the personality that Aiden had even as a kid and Brody didn't even think to stop for a second to ask why he was so insistent on turning over the Ninja Stars when Brody had been poisoned. If it was one thing that their father had drilled into their minds as kids, it was that the Ninja Stars had to be protected or else the fate of the earth would turn tragic real quickly. He had been so desperate to believe that the person by his bedside was his brother, that Brody didn't want to think about the warning signs, not until it was too late and Levi almost paid the price for it.

Later that night at the talent show, Brody had began to sing their family song, the one that their dad had created when they were kids. He couldn't finish it without the threat of breaking down into tears in front of everyone.

Then Levi began singing the lyrics only Aiden Romero would've known. There was a look of longing and hope in his expression and it was then that Brody had realized why Levi carried that sense of familiarity. His brother had been right in front of him this whole time, but both of the brothers didn't even give one thought about it.

As the two brothers finished the lyrics, Brody had practically thrown himself into Levi's waiting arms and hugged his brother with all the relief and joy he had felt at finding him. In return, Levi tightened his hold around his brother, as if he were afraid Brody would disappear again.

Brody couldn't remember the last time he had felt so happy and contempt and when he reluctantly pulled away from the embrace, he was taken aback at the tears forming in his brother's eyes. However, Brody was pulled back into reality when the hall had burst into deafening applause.

That didn't matter though, not to Brody. In that moment alone, all Brody cared about, was the fact that he had finally found his brother.

* * *

It had been only a day since Brody had found out that Levi was actually Aiden Romero, and even then, it still didn't feel real. It felt like it was a sick joke that was being played out on him by Galvanax and that Levi would also turn out to be a robot. But that never happened. Levi was a normal human being, and most of all, he _was_ Brody's brother.

Brody was asleep in his childhood home, buried under a thick comforter when the knock on his front door startled him awake.

The faint light streaming in from his bedroom window indicated that it must've been early morning, but barely dawn.

In the sleep haze in his brain, it took Brody a few moments to realized what it was that had pulled him back to consciousness. Then the knock on the door sounded again and Brody felt himself frown.

Picking up his Ninja Star Blade that rested beside his bed, Brody crept his way towards the front door, wondering who was visiting this early on a Saturday morning.

However, when Brody opened the door, he felt himself relax when he saw who it was.

"Levi," Brody sighed in relief.

Levi raised an eyebrow, "Expecting someone else?"

"What?" Brody was confused.

Levi's eyes flickered to the sword that Brody holding by his side.

That's when Brody realized that he was still armed, "I guess I've been a bit jumpy ever since I came back."

Levi gave him a small smile, but Brody could see the sadness in the gesture. "That's understandable."

Brody just shrugged. "What are you doing here?"

"Um... it's my house too?" Levi said, but it came out more as a question than a statement.

Brody chuckled, "I guess it is, isn't it? Come in." He stepped aside for Levi to enter, closing the door behind the Gold Ranger.

Levi paused in the doorway and looked around the interior of the house. "It's been so long since I've seen this place."

"You're reaction is pretty much exactly what mine was when I first came back here," Brody told him. "It's quite a strange feeling, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Levi agreed.

"Do you want some coffee? Tea?" Brody offered as he made his way towards the kitchen.

"Since when do you drink coffee?" Levi raised an eyebrow at him.

"How did you know I don't drink tea?" Brody smirked.

"Because you took a sip of dad's tea once and hated it ever since," Levi crossed his arms, his expression amused.

"Fine, you caught me red handed. Yes, I'm a caffeine addict," Brody held his hands up in surrender as he walked backwards towards the coffee machine. "You never answered my question. Coffee or tea?"

"Tea will do just fine," Levi replied.

"Green with extra honey?" Brody asked.

"Somethings never change," Was all his brother said in return.

Five minutes later, the two brothers were gathered around the kitchen table, Brody sipping his coffee while his brother drank his tea.

The silence between them was somewhat relaxing, but it was driving Brody insane. He just didn't know what to say to Levi. How was he supposed to explain everything that had happened when he was absent from his world. Brody already knew what happened to Levi. He hid the ninja steel and went on to change his name and become a country star, therefore hiding in plain sight...

"I can hear you thinking from all the way over here," Levi chuckled in amusement.

Brody jumped, startled back to reality. "Sorry," He apologized.

Levi's smile turned into a frown, "What's the matter, Brody? You're usually never jumpy."

"I..." Brody sighed. "I don't know what to say."

"What do you mean?" Levi asked in bemusement.

"It's just..." Brody sighed. "I don't know how to explain everything that's happened while I was gone."

Levi's face morphed into something Brody couldn't quite decipher, but it was gone not a moment later. "You don't have to say anything you don't want to."

"What's the last thing you remember from that day?" Brody asked.

"I remember dad disappearing when he broke the Nexus Star into six pieces. I remember you being taken and that was it," Levi recalled.

Brody set his coffee down on the table and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "For the past ten years, I know you've been a music star, hiding in plain sight, and all that... but, me? I was held prisoner on a spaceship for ten years."

Levi's eyes widened. " _Prisoner?_ "

Brody nodded. "By Odius himself."

Levi looked stunned as he digested what Brody had just revealed. There was a slight tremble in his hands as he set his tea down. "God, Brody... I didn't know... I'm so sorry. If I had known that you were held prisoner I would've tried to do something."

Brody smiled sadly. "What do you think you could've done, Levi? I was in space and you were on Earth. Even if you had known... there was nothing you could've done to change that."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine now," Brody replied, even though it was a total lie. "In fact, I'm much better than I've been in a long time."

Levi's eyes furrowed deeper at those words. "How'd you escape?"

"Well, it wasn't easy, that's for sure. I didn't even think I had a change of escaping for awhile, if I were to be honest," Brody admitted. "But then I met Mick. It took my awhile for him to grow on me, after everything that happened, I wasn't exactly the type of person to trust someone so easily."

"So what happened to change that?" Levi asked, curiously.

"Mick saved my life," Brody answered.

As soon as those words were out, Brody wished he hadn't said anything at all. Seeing his brother's blank face was one of the worse things that he wanted to face at the moment. Shame washed over him as he realized he just admitted that he was too weak to save himself.

"Levi, I'm sorry..." Brody began.

However, he never got to finish what it was that he wanted to say, because his brother's phone began to ring.

Levi looked at the caller ID, frowned, and then answered it. "Hello?" A moment later. Levi's frown turned into a worried expression. "Yeah, I'm on my way."

Brody stood up, immediately on alert. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah, uh, everyone's fine," Levi told him. "But I gotta go."

"Do I need to come to?" Brody asked.

Levi shook his head, "No. It's not about that... Look, I'll see you later, alright?"

Brody didn't get to say anything else, because Levi was already walking out the door, closing it behind him.

Brody just looked at the closed door, wondering what the hell had just happened and if he had been the one to cause it.

* * *

Brody didn't hear from his brother for the rest of the day and that was enough to make him worry himself sick. He was mainly worried he told Levi too much about he past ten years way too fast and he couldn't deal with everything all at once. It's not like Brody could blame him if he needed space after that. Yes, it might make him worry that his brother won't want to see him again, but Brody knew Levi would never do that. Right?

Who was he kidding? The Aiden he knew back then may not be the same Aiden that Levi was now. The Aiden back then would probably have needed a few hours to think things through, but the Aiden now... Brody's not sure what he would do.

Brody sat around the house, trying to distract himself from his never ending thoughts. Whether it be reading a book, doing laundry, sweeping the floors, or doing the dishes, it seemed like no matter what he tried to do, he couldn't distract himself long enough to get things done. All those insecurities kept coming back to him and it was driving him insane.

He lasted four hours before he sent a text to his brother:

 _B: Everything okay? You left in quite a rush._

When Brody didn't hear from Levi for the rest of that day, he tried not to feel too disappointed. He went to bed that night thinking back over the conversation that they had over the table that morning.

Levi seemed okay at the beginning when he first sat down at the kitchen table. He even teased his brother a bit and everything seemed a little... well, a little _normal_. Like they hadn't been separated for ten years.

Then Brody brought up the subject of what his life had been like for the past ten years. It wasn't until he mentioned being a prisoner that things seemed to have taken a turn for the worst. Levi became... blank and unemotional, as if he didn't know how to react to something like that. Was Levi ashamed of Brody for becoming a prisoner in the first place? Was he disappointed that his brother didn't seem to have fought back? Was he upset because Brody failed to help their father?

Brody must've stayed in his bed for a good two hours, staring at the ceiling as his thoughts whirled inside his brain. Finally, after declaring himself an insomniac for the night, he got up from bed, threw on some jeans, grabbed his coat, and left the house.

He wasn't entirely sure where he was going, he just knew that he needed to go somewhere that would help him clear his head. It wasn't until he found himself in the open garage of the Ranger hideout at Summer Cove High School that he realized he was even there at all.

Why had he gone there?

Even then, Brody knew the answer to that question.

Summer Cover had become like a second home to him ever since he came back to Earth. It was the first place that actually felt like a save haven, a place that would protect him against all the monsters in the world, even his mental demons.

As he walked inside the hideout, he found it completely deserted.

Brody didn't know why he felt so disappointed at the empty hideout. After all, it was close to midnight on a weekend night. His friends were probably enjoying some downtime at home, or even in some cases, already fast asleep.

As Brody turned to leave the hideout, something caught his eye. Turning back around, he saw what had caught his attention. It was three different gold chains glinting from the faint light of the hideout's entrance.

 _What's Levi's necklace doing here?_ Brody wondered curiously. His brother never took off the chains in the time that he's been around him. He said they were his good luck charms.

Brody walked over to the table and picked them up before sitting down on one of the bench stools. He must've spent quite some time just staring at the chains and thinking of how things used to be before a voice came from behind him.

"Brody?"

Brody nearly jumped out of his skin as he turned around to see Mick standing in the entranceway.

"You startled me, Mick," Brody placed a hand over his racing heart.

"Sorry, I certainly didn't mean to," Mick apologized. "What brings you here in the late hours of the night?"

Brody shrugged. "Couldn't sleep."

"So you came here?" Mick raised an eyebrow at him, flipping on some of the lights, igniting the hideout in a faint yellow glow.

"Guess I just wanted to go somewhere to clear my head," Brody replied, looking back down at the chains.

"Is it the nightmares?" Mick asked kindly.

Mick was the only one who knew the extent of Brody's nightmares. The Red Ranger had made his friend swear to keep just between them.

Brody could've lied and said yes, making the situation so much more easier, but instead, he decided to be truthful. "Surprisingly not this time."

Mick's eyes flickered to what Brody was holding. "Is it about your brother? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine," Brody answered, his voice blank.

"Did something happen between the two of you?" Mick prodded gently.

"To be honest? I'm not entirely sure."

"Then what is it?" Mick came to sit next to his friend. "Something's got you upset."

Brody was quiet for a few minutes before he sighed. "I told Levi about what happened while I was gone."

Mick frowned. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Maybe it was," Brody remarked. "He didn't seem very pleased when I told him."

"Well, I sure hope not," Mick laughed. "It's not a good thing that you were held prisoner for ten years on an alien battle ship."

"That's not what I meant, Mick," Brody shook his head. "I can't help but feel like he's disappointed that I didn't do more."

"Why would he be disappointed?" Mick asked curiously. "There's nothing you could've done better."

"I feel like he's just disappointed that I didn't try to fight back. Everything just happened so fast that I didn't have time to react. I just watched my father disappear in front of me and I became useless."

"It's called shock, Brody," Mick comforted him. "It's totally understandable in a situation like that."

"Then what did I say to him to make him leave so suddenly?" Brody asked. "It's like he couldn't wait to get me out of his sight. I haven't heard from him since and it's driving me up the walls in worry."

"Levi can take care of himself just fine, Brody," Mick said. "I'd give him some time. It's a lot of information to process all at once."

"I'm scared, Mick," Brody confessed. "What happens if he's not the same Aiden I knew when I was a kid? What happens if he's different? What happens if he hates me now that he knows what happened to me?"

"Oh, Brody," Mick chuckled. "It's quite alright to have your insecurities, it's normal for everyone. However, you can't let that worry overrule your reasonable judgement. He'll come around, just give him some time."

Brody sighed, "Maybe your right. Maybe I am just blowing this way out of proportion."

"Only time will tell," Mick smiled kindly at his friend. "Now why don't you head home and try to catch some sleep? You'll do yourself good by that."

Brody returned the smile, but it was a sad smile. "Thanks, Mick."

With all of that said, Brody began his trek back home.

* * *

By the time that Monday came around, Brody was climbing up his walls with the silence he's been dealing with for the past two days.

With no word back from Levi yet, Brody was starting to worry more and more that he might've scared his brother off. That, or he's disappointed him to the point where Levi wanted nothing to do with him anymore.

As Brody walked into school that morning, he wanted to fight his instincts to seek out Levi right away and make his brother talk to him about what had happened on Saturday. Brody didn't want to set the expectation of him being the annoying little brother that worries he's done something wrong twenty-four seven. Except, that's exactly what he was doing at the moment.

Brody felt like he should be disgusted with the thought, but he was so exhausted that he really didn't have the energy to care. He had spent the last two nights jumping awake from nightmare after nightmare.

It's been so long that he's had nightmares this bad, and he honestly had no clue as to what might be causing them. Maybe it was the after shocks of Madame Odius creating a robot-version of Aiden. Or maybe it was that fight reminding him of everything that he had endured as a prisoner onboard the Warrior Dome. All he knew was that whatever it was, he really hated it.

As scanned the crowds of students hanging out in the hallway, his eyes rested on his teammates and he felt his shoulders relax. However, they tensed up for a moment when he saw that Levi was with them.

 _Of course he's with them,_ Brody chided himself _, They're his friends too._

Brody walked over to his group, dodging a few backpacks of oblivious teenagers along the way.

"Hey, guys!" Brody greeted as he approached them.

"Look at you almost being late," Hayley smiled welcomingly.

"Yeah, well, I got a mile of walking in before I realized I forgot my phone," Brody lied. "Had to sprint back and snag it. I'm surprised I even made it on time."

The truth was, Brody had overslept, which is something that he _never_ did. The others know that too, and if Brody had told them the truth, they'd make him tell them what was wrong. However, if Brody acted like everything was normal, then maybe Levi would act normal too.

However, as Brody glanced as his brother, he saw Levi staring distantly at the lockers to his left.

Brody frowned, that wasn't like his brother at all. "Levi."

At hearing his name, Levi seemed to jump back into reality and he glanced at Brody, as if he just realized he was there. "When did you get here, Brody?"

"A few minutes ago," Brody replied. "Are you okay, bro?"

The nickname seemed to spark something in Levi's eyes. Levi rubbed a hand over his face to clear his thoughts. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good." His phone buzzed and Levi glanced down at it. "I, uh... I gotta go. I just realized I had to see a teacher about making up a test."

With that, Levi left, heading towards the quieter end of the other corridors.

"I'm not the only one that thinks that was strange, right?" Preston asked.

"He has been acting strange," Sarah agreed, crossing her arms. "He seemed really distracted."

"Usually he's more down-to-earth," Hayley said. "I wonder if something happened?"

 _Something did happen,_ Brody said to himself. _I told him what happened._

Calvin must've sensed something in Brody's change of expression because he asked, "Brody, you okay, dude?"

"Do you know what's going on?" Sarah inquired gently. "Did you two have a fight or something?"

"No, not a fight," Brody shook his head.

"Are you sure? You seem pretty down as well," Hayley placed a gently hand on his forearm.

"He came over early Saturday," Brody told them the truth. "Guess he wanted to see the house or something. Not like I can blame him, it's something I wanted to do when I first came back to Earth."

"I sense there's more to the story," Hayley gently prodded.

"I made him some tea, coffee for myself, we sat at the kitchen table and we just _talked_. Then I brought up what had happened while I was gone. I told him about me being a prisoner aboard the Warrior Dome," Brody crossed his arms, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. "He didn't take it too well. I figured maybe I told him everything way too fast. I mean, we only found out we were brothers not even twenty-four hours ago. Then he got a call on his cell, said he had to go and I haven't heart from him since. Figured I'd either scared him off or disappointed him for not fighting harder to save our dad."

"Brody," Sarah looked pained. "I don't think Levi's disappointed in you at all. A little scared? Maybe, but as you said, it's a lot to handle at first. You didn't tell us until months after you met us, but even then we never pushed you to tell us everything because we didn't want to push you away. In Levi's case, he might feel like he could've tried harder to protect you from that awful fate you had to endure. He just needs some time."

Brody gave her a small smile, "Mick told me as much, but I still wonder if that's the case."

"Do you need one of us to talk to him?" Calvin asked.

Brody shook his head, "No. I can handle it, it's just... maybe I'll give him a few more days.

"Maybe you should just sit down later today and talk to him about it," Hayley correct him. "If you let a few more days past, it might be harder for you to pull him out of his self-pity."

"Self-pity?" Brody frowned.

"It's when you feel sorry for yourself..." Preston began.

Brody chuckled, "I know what it means, Preston."

Preston smiled sheepishly, "Oh, sorry."

Not a few seconds later, the bell rang, signifying the beginning of the school day.

"And that's our cue," Calvin sighed.

"I wish it wasn't," Sarah grimaced. "I've got three tests I really don't want to take today."

"Well, you should get to it then," Hayley laughed as the five of them began to walk towards their respective classes together.

* * *

The first half of the day seemed to stretch on for the longest time. Brody spent most of the time staring at the clock, wondering if the minutes could move any slower. The ticking of the clock was enough to make Brody irritable. He was tired, he was nauseous, and he just wanted to go home and curl on his bed with a bowl of soup.

However, his life hated him at the moment and when lunch finally came around, he was definitely far from hungry. In fact, his stomach was practically burning in protest at even the thought of food. Was he coming down with a stomach bug? Maybe. Did he care? No, not really. What was the point of caring if you were sick if you had no one to take care of you? Besides, he was the Red Ranger. He had to be ready for anything if a monster were to show up.

As Brody walked into the cafeteria, he saw that Levi was already seated their usual table and Brody made his way over there, forgetting his intent at giving his brother a few more days of space.

"It's beginning to seem like you're avoiding me," Brody commented as he sat down across from the Gold Ranger.

Levi frowned as he stabbed some of his salad with a fork. "What gave you that idea?"

"I texted you Saturday, never heard back from you. I called you Sunday to see if maybe you wanted to help me pick out paint for the house, never heard back from you. And I still don't forgive you for that, by the way. I had to face that creepy paint lady at the Home Depot," Brody crossed his arms.

Levi snorted in amusement, "Oh, come on, she's not that bad."

"She _grabby_ man," Brody protested.

"And she's the same age as you," Levi pointed out.

"Are you telling me I should ask her out?" Brody raised an eyebrow at him.

"I mean, she does kind of seem interested in you," Levi said.

"No, nope, nada, not gonna happen," Brody shook his head. "Definitely way too grabby for my taste."

"Did you choose a paint color?" Levi changed the subject, even though his eyes sparkled in amusement.

"Found a color that was similar to the peeling paint that's on the walls now," Brody answered. "Didn't want to change it too much."

Levi just nodded as he took another bite of his salad.

"You never answered me, by the way," Brody changed the subject.

"And what question was that?" Levi asked.

"Have you been avoiding me?"

"Why on earth would I be avoiding you?" Levi's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Maybe because you stormed out after out conversation on Saturday," Brody stated. "Was it something I said? Look, man, I'm sorry I laid all that junk on your shoulders so quickly. I shouldn't have done that."

"It wasn't anything you said, Brody," Levi reassured him. "Something just came up. I'm glad you told me, man, I really am. Yes, it's a lot to handle, but I'm glad you told me."

Brody sighed in relief. "Thank god. I thought I scared you off this time."

"Scared me off? Are you saying I'm a coward?" Levi smirked.

"I mean..."

Levi leaned over to punch his shoulder, "Can't scare me off that easily, Brody."

"Honestly, I was kinda proud to even think I did scare you off for a minute," Brody laughed.

Levi scoffed, "In your dreams."

They sat in comfortable silence as Levi took another few bites of his salad. His phone buzzed and when Levi looked down on it, a mask appeared on his face.

Brody sensed the change in posture and frowned, "Everything okay, Levi?"

"I got to take this call," Levi said as he began to stand up.

"Wait," Brody caught his wrist. "I'm training in the park today after school if you want to join. Preston and Hayley should be there too."

"Sure," Levi said distractedly before Brody let him go and Levi walked out of the room.

Brody didn't know exactly how he should feel. For one, he wanted to believe that his brother wasn't lying when he said that he didn't blame Brody for anything. He wanted to believe that everything was okay between the two of them, but for some reason, everything still felt off about Levi. Maybe it really was something Brody said?

No... it couldn't be... there was someone that keeps calling him. Who could it be?

Brody just shrugged that thought off though. Whoever was calling his brother, it wasn't any of his business. It was probably something to do with Levi's music career. If that was the case, then it really was none of Brody's business. So, instead of sticking his nose where it doesn't belong, Brody decided that he would just sit at his empty table and do some homework.

Calvin, Preston, Hayley and Sarah were all testing early this morning and were having the 2nd hour of lunch, so Brody was on his own this time.

He could handle it.

Besides, he took the time to think some things through for training this afternoon. He devised up some new routines he wanted to try with Hayley, Levi and Preston. Also, he wanted to work on his sword-work as well.

By the time the bell rang, Brody wondered why time seemed to start to speed up once more.

* * *

Brody arrived at the park about an hour after school had gotten out. After Levi never returned to lunch, Brody sent him a text that told his brother the time that he was going to start training if he wanted to join him. Preston was set to arrive an hour late due to him having to help his mother make a quick food run and then running a few errands for her. Hayley, on the other hand, had to cancel unexpectedly. She had felt really bad when she had called her friend, explaining that she had to take her sister to the ER after her younger sister fell off her bike. Hayley was pretty sure that her sister's leg was broken and that she wasn't entirely sure when they would release her. Brody had reassured her and told her that he truly understood why she had to cancel and that it was okay. Things did happen rather unexpectedly, after all.

What Brody didn't really think about was the possibility of his brother not showing up at all. Levi always showed up to training sessions because that was just the type of person he was. He ditched his friends for other plans, at least not for good reason. Even then, he would at least call and tell them that he couldn't make it because something important came up.

This time, Brody didn't hear anything. His brother just didn't show up.

He tried calling Levi, but when it went to voicemail he sighed in exasperation.

He shot him a text instead:

 _You still coming to training?_

Brody didn't even bother waiting for a reply, because he knew that he wasn't going to get one. Was he being a little bitter? Maybe. Why? Because Levi wasn't just being a terrible brother, but he was being a pretty cruddy friend as well.

Then again, Brody didn't know the full story behind Levi's sudden behavior. It could be because something important came up and Levi just forgot to tell them.

Anyways, Brody just took his Ninja Star Blade and began working his sword-work. He worked on the speed of his attacks, his footings, his dodges. Basically he could feel the burn in his arms, abs and legs and he welcomed the familiar pain. It made him faster, and it made him stronger. However, there was a burning sensation that was slowly building in his stomach and it was getting rather uncomfortable. However, he just swallowed the lump in his throat and willed away the nausea as he continued to train.

When Preston arrived an hour or so later, he whistled in amazement.

"Look at you go, Lancelot," Preston commented.

Brody spun around, his chest heaving in exertion. His muscles ached.

"Hey, Preston," He greeted his friend.

"Sorry I got here later than I thought," Preston smiled sheepishly.

"It's been over an hour?" Brody was surprised.

"Close to two, but yeah," Preston nodded. "My mom would not let me leave the house until I did the laundry, did the dishes and then I had to mop the floors... Gosh, the woman is going to kill me one day from chore overload."

Brody let out a breathless laugh as he tried to collect his breath.

"Have you been going for two hours straight?" Preston asked.

"I guess so," Brody smiled smugly. He didn't know he had it in him to go on for that long.

"That's pretty dang impressive, dude," Preston complimented him.

"Thanks," Brody replied.

"Where's Levi? Did he already head out?" Preston asked.

Brody tensed up at his brother's name, completely forgetting that he was supposed to be coming.

"I'm taking that as he didn't show?" Preston guessed.

"Yeah, he didn't show," Brody confirmed.

"That's so strange, though, usually he never ditches plans without saying something before hand," Preston frowned. "He's been acting so strange lately... distracted and distant."

Brody scoffed. "You can say that again."

"What about Hayley?" Preston asked.

"What about her?" Brody returned the question.

"Wasn't she supposed to be coming as well?"

"She had to cancel last minute," Brody told him. "She had to take her sister to the ER after a bike accident. Said she's pretty sure her sister broke her leg."

Preston winced. "Poor kid."

"Yeah, it's definitely not fun at all," Brody agreed.

"How about you? You still up for a few rounds?" Preston asked.

Brody shrugged. "Sure, why not."

Preston summoned his Star Blade and they started to clash blades. Brody went ahead and showed him a few things that he just learned, while Preston caught onto the moves fairly quickly. With another person, Brody was finally able to test some of the dodge moves he'd came up with and when they'd work, Preston caught on and mirrored what he did.

They went at it for a good half an hour before the burning sensation in his stomach intensified. Brody bit his lip as he continued to train, willing his stomach to hang on for another hour or so before they called it. However, his wish was short lived when he went to roll away from a blow, but came up spluttering and suddenly found himself on his hands in knees, heaving up his breakfast.

"Oh my god, Brody!" Preston's concerned voice came from behind him.

Brody could do nothing but continue to bring up his breakfast and non-existent lunch before he was just dry-heaving. He felt his friend kneel beside him and place a grounding hand on his back.

When Brody finished he sat back and Preston handed him a bottle of water.

Brody accepted it with a thankful hum and he took a few sips to clean his mouth and wash the taste away. Then he began to drink small sips as he fought to even out his breathing.

"What the hell?" Preston asked, looking rather worried.

"I'm fine," Brody told him, even though he felt like crap.

"You don't look fine," Preston replied. "You just threw up."

"Preston, it's fine," Brody reassured him before lying smoothly. "I just had too much to eat before training. It was my mistake."

Preston grimaced. "Ugh, I think we've all done that a few times."

"Rookie mistake, I know," Brody grumbled, feeling rather embarrassed.

"Do you wanna call it?" Preston was still crouched beside him.

"I think it's best if we do," Brody nodded. "It's getting pretty late."

"You good to walk home by yourself?" Preston looked hesitant to leave his friend's side.

Brody wasn't entirely sure how he did it, but he stood up with ease. "I'm fine, Preston. See? No dizziness or anything."

Preston stood up as well and studied his friend. "Fine," He said reluctantly. "If you feel worse, promise to at least call Mick?"

Brody sighed, "Promise."

"Okay," Preston looked rather pleased. He walked over to grab a towel he had brought and slung it over his shoulder. "See you tomorrow."

Brody watched his friend leave before setting off towards his home. He really just wanted a shower, some soup and some sleep.

* * *

When Brody went to school the next day, he still felt like crap. He tried getting some rest last night, but it was a restless night's sleep, and his stomach refused to keep anything down, whether it be water or food. He hated being sick, but he was _not_ telling anyone he was sick because he could not afford to sit out from a battle, should they have one. He would never abandon his friends like that. If one of them got hurt because he sat out... he'd never forgive himself. He was the leader after all. He had to be strong.

His first goal that he had, as he walked through the school doors, was to avoid his friend's prying eyes as much as possible. He had texted them that morning to let them know that he needed to talk to a teacher about a possible test retake, so they already knew he was not going to be meeting up with them this morning.

However, he couldn't help but be paranoid about whether or not they knew something was up with him. He tried to be normal when he sent the text, and he checked over the single sentence several times before deeming it acceptable for his usual texts.

The good news about not meeting up with them this morning, was not having to confront his brother about not showing up to training the day before. He didn't want to seem like the little brother who got hurt when his big brother was too busy for him. Brody was almost a grown man, he didn't need to rely on his brother's presence all the time. He was independent before he found out that Levi was actually Aiden, and he can still be independent too.

As the day went on and Brody made sure to drink a lot of fluids slowly but surely. He was even pleasantly surprised to find himself feeling a little better with the more water he consumed. Maybe he wasn't sick. Maybe he was just dehydrated after training rigorously yesterday.

So as he walked towards the Ranger hideout that afternoon, he felt confident that the others wouldn't suspect that there was anything out of the ordinary.

As he approached the entrance to the base, however, something made him stop. There was a voice coming from the other end of the hallway, the voice sounded rather agitated.

Deciding to check it out to make sure everything was okay, Brody passed the entrance and walked a little further until he could make out what was being said.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

Brody paused mid-step. That was Levi.

"It's either a yes or no question, Kim..."

 _He must be on the phone,_ Brody thought to himself.

"No this not about him. Yes, he's annoying as hell and won't leave me alone, but that's not what I'm talking about right now," Levi sounded frustrated. "What the hell is so complicated about it, exactly? God, you're just as bad as him..."

Brody didn't want to hear anymore of what his brother had to say. He already made his point clear. Brody felt a wave of sadness wash over him as he realized that his deepest fears had came true. Levi did find him very annoying and he wanted no part of him... God, how could he have been so blind? It would've saved him a lot of pain if he had just accepted it sooner.

As he walked into the base, he shrugged off those thoughts and was determined to hang out with his friends since it's been awhile since they were all together.

They were all hanging around the center table, chatting away with one another.

Calvin looked up as he entered and smiled brightly, "And there he is!"

Everyone looked over their shoulder as Brody approached him.

"You seem pretty happy to see me," Brody was amused.

"We haven't seen you all day," Hayley shrugged. "We were wondering if you managed to get yourself into trouble."

"Who? Me?" Brody scoffed. "Never."

Preston was studying his friend for a moment before asking, "How you feeling?"

Brody frowned, "I feel fine. Why?"

Preston just shrugged, accepting the answer. He didn't want to make a big deal out of things if Brody looked alright.

In that moment, Levi decided to walk in, looking rather distraught.

Brody looked at his brother, debating whether to call him out or not. He decided it'd be cruel to snap at him if he looked like that. Instead, he asked, "What's the matter, Levi?"

Levi jumped, as if the voices startled him. He quickly recovered and just waved off his brother's concern, "It's nothing."

Brody didn't know why he said it, but the words just slipped out. "You know you can talk to me about anything."

A flash of irritation crossed his brother's eyes as Levi told him, "Just leave it be, Brody."

Another wave of hurt washed over him, but this time Brody did a better job of hiding the pain.

"I better head home," Brody cleared his throat. "I've got a few tests to study for."

Yes, it was a lame excuse, but who could blame him if he just wanted to be alone for a little bit? He was glad that the others didn't follow him to convince him to stay. He just wanted to go home.

* * *

Brody felt terrible for the rest of the week with stomach cramps that refused to leave him be. He'd barely eaten anything the whole week because everything he tried to eat rarely stayed down. He did drink a lot of water though and that surprisingly only came up half of the time.

However, he's been sleeping terribly and he was pretty sure that was why he wasn't recovering as quickly as he'd like. Every few hours he'd find himself either screaming himself awake or shooting up into a sitting position fighting off panic attacks.

The nightmares were worse and Brody began to wonder if it was because he was sick. He wondered if his mental walls were crumbling because his strength was slowly diminishing the longer his sickness went on.

He should've told the others, he really should've, but by now, Brody wondered if there was any point in telling them. Levi hated his guts and didn't want to admit it to his face and the others were always squeamish when it came to someone who was sick. So Brody resigned to the fact that he had to take care of himself solo. He'll be fine doing it. He's done it way too many times within the past ten years.

By the time Friday came around, though, he didn't want to get out of bed. So he just laid there the entire day, not bothering to text anyone and not bothering to go to school.

He had caught up on some much needed sleep, but he still felt like crap.

However, all good things must come to an end.

It must've been close to the evening when there was an urgent banging coming from the front door.

Brody groaned as he hoisted himself painfully to his feet and made his way towards the door, which was still being banged on by someone.

He opened the door to see a concerned, but mostly angry Levi standing on the front porch.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Levi demanded as soon as he saw his little brother.

"Well, hello to you too," Brody grumbled, not in the mood at all to be lectured.

"You scared us all to death! We thought you were attacked, injured, killed, you name it," Levi fumed. "God, Brody, why didn't you just pick up the damn phone? What the hell is going on with you lately?"

Brody raised an eyebrow at him. "What's going on with me lately? You do _not_ get to ask me that question."

"Really? Because you've been acting like an immature child lately," Levi crossed his arms, looking pissed.

"How?" Brody challenged.

"For one, you've been avoiding me every chance you get and you won't tell me why..." Levi began.

" _Me_ avoiding _you_? Are you really that dense?" Brody could not believe a word he was hearing. "I'm not the one who acted like a crap friend."

"Excuse me?" Levi asked.

"Do I really need to spell it out for you?" Brody demanded.

There was an incredulous silence between the two of them before Levi sighed, "I'm sorry, Brody, alright? I didn't come here to yell at you, but you had me worried sick, alright? You haven't picked up any of my calls or answered any of my texts..."

Brody scoffed, "Yeah, well, now you know how it feels."

With that said and done, Brody just closed the door in his brother's face without another word. He was just so done with everything at the moment that a few hours of peace and quiet were all he ever wanted.

Instead, he curled up in his bed and if he started to shed a few tears... well, he'd never admit it to himself.

* * *

It was early the next morning when Brody got the call from Mick saying that there was a swarm of Basherbots that was heading towards downtown Summer Cove. Brody thanked his friend and preceeded to inform the rest of his teammates before morphing up and running towards his destination.

He felt sick, like _really_ sick. He was running on fumes, basically. He spent all night tossing and turning, and when he wasn't doing that then he was heaving his guts out in the bathroom. He was so tired and done with everything that he almost didn't come to this battle. The only reason he came was because he reminded himself that he had to be there because he had to lead the team.

As he reached his destination he heard footsteps approaching behind him.

"Do they really have to do this now?" Sarah complained. "It's seven in the morning. I could still be sleeping, you know."

"Let's just get this over with," Brody told his teammates, not carrying if his voice seemed croaky.

When the fight began, Brody was fighting rather well and it surprised him at _how well_ he was fighting given his current circumstances.

To his left he could Hayley and Sarah teaming up to fight close to a dozen Basherbots while Levi was to his right, fighting off a good four or five. Calvin and Preston were directly in front of him, fighting off eight of the darn monsters.

Brody was taking on four of the Basherbots solo and he managed to defeat at least two of them before the burning in his stomach became almost unbearable. Finally, when he defeated one more, Brody felt himself stumble and it was just enough of a mistake for the two monsters to grab him and chuck him into the air.

He heard people shout out his name as he plummeted back towards the ground at an alarming speed.

He doesn't remember hitting the ground, but he does remember waking up on it. He could feel the power draining in him as he finally demorphed. He must've rolled when he hit the ground because there was road rash everywhere on his arms. But he couldn't feel that at the moment. The only thing he was aware of was his stomach turning. He had just enough time to turn onto his hands and knees as he coughed a few times before heaving painfully, his stomach clenching in protest as he had a nasty reunion with all that water he had the night before.

"Brody!" Someone shouted, but they sounded miles away.

He was too busy puking his guts out that he wasn't aware of someone crouching behind him until he felt strong arms wrap around his chest in support as his arms gave out. The person managed to save him from collapsing into a puddle of his own sickness.

The last thing he was aware of was someone gently resting him onto his back, then he fell into darkness.

* * *

 _"You will tell me how to use the Nexus Prism," A deep voice growled._

 _"Never in a million years, Odius," Brody heard his voice echo._

 _Brody could see nothing but darkness, but he could hear the voices clearly._

 _"Brody!" Someone's scream pierced his ear._

 _ **Aiden!** Brody wanted to shout, but he felt a force holding him in place._

 _"Brody help!" The scream came again, closer this time._

 ** _No, no, no..._** _Brody closed his eyes and willed himself to leave the nightmare._

 _"Brody wake up!" The voice became clear and urgent._

Brody gasped awake, shooting into a sitting position, which was an instant mistake as he felt his stomach turn as a result. Seeing the bin next to his bed, Brody reached for it in time for him to dry-heave into it.

"Brody!" A worried voice called out as footsteps hurried towards the bed.

Brody felt the mattress dip beside him and then there was a hand rubbing soothing circles into his upper back.

When Brody felt calm enough to place the barrel back down on the ground, he let out a groan of pain as he felt his sore stomach muscles protest the movement.

"Easy, Brody," That voice calmed him. "You're getting over a nasty stomach flu."

"Aiden?" Brody asked, his voice slurred.

"And now that's the fever talking," The voice chuckled.

Brody still couldn't see the person's face, but he felt someone gently lay him back down on his pillow. He was surprised to find himself drifting off almost immediately.

* * *

The next time he came around, he knew it was for real this time. Not just because of the pleasant absence of nausea in his stomach, but because his mind was less hazy. His arms burned like hell, but other than that, he felt almost back to normal.

It took Brody a moment to realize that the thing that had awaken him was someone sitting beside him on the bed, humming quietly to themself.

He also found himself with his head resting on someone's hip, and he was rather comfortable. It was something he hadn't woken up to in a very long time.

The last time that he awoke like this, it was when Aiden and him had to share a bed as kids because their father didn't have enough money to spare for two beds. Also, during the winter it came in handy whenever it was too cold and the heater was broken. He had nightmares as a kid, for reasons he wasn't sure of, but his big brother always protected him when Brody was fighting his own demons. Maybe that's why he slept so well?

He didn't want to wake up just yet, but as soon as he moved he let out a small hiss in pain as his road-rash arms rubbed against the sheets.

He felt the person still for a moment before rubbing his back soothingly.

"You back with us?" Levi's voice was quiet, as if he were afraid of being too loud.

"Not entirely sure," Brody murmured. "Is this real?"

Levi let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, Brody, this is real."

"How long was I out?" Brody sighed, resigned to the fact that he had to sit up.

"Well, you passed out on the battle field Saturday, your fever broken yesterday, so... Four days?" Levi counted.

"Four days?" Brody's eyes widened. "Was it really that bad?"

"Considering you let it go untreated for almost a whole week before that, yeah," Levi nodded.

"Crap..." Brody buried his head in his hands. "I didn't know it was that bad."

"Scared the hell out of all of us, that's for sure," Levi closed the book he had been reading and placed it on the nightstand. "Why didn't you tell anyone you weren't feeling well?"

"I honestly thought I could handle it on my own," Brody admitted. "I didn't feel _that bad_ until the fight..."

"Which fight?" Levi raised an eyebrow at him.

Brody felt a stab of guilt pierce his heart and he suddenly felt like a complete dick. "Levi, I'm sorry."

Levi chuckled, "You're not the one that should be apologizing, Brody."

"You sure about that? I acted like a complete jerk."

"You acted like a confused friend, which you had a right to be. I've been hiding things from you guys," Levi confessed. "I just honestly didn't expect you to get the idea that I was avoiding you because of something you did."

"I didn't know how else to feel," Brody crossed his legs. "With you disappearing after I told you about being a prisoner on the Warrior Dome, I got scared. I thought that maybe you were disappointed in me or something."

"How on Earth did you come up with that crazy idea?" Levi was shocked.

Brody shrugged. "With everything that happened, I didn't know what to think. Me being gone for ten years, Dad disappearing, you going into hiding... When I overheard what you said while on the phone, I assumed you were talking about me."

Levi frowned, "I'm confused."

"'He's annoying as hell and won't leave me alone,'" Brody recited. "Sounded like what I was doing."

Levi's face morphed into an expression of realization. "Oh, no, Brody, I wasn't talking about you. God, I'm so sorry you ever thought that. I was talking about my ex-manager, Tom. He kept pushing me into taking a record deal, claiming that 'he was doing me a favor.'"

Brody suddenly felt very stupid. "Oh."

Levi shook his head, his expression changing into one of fond amusement. "Brody, you have no idea how long I've wished for the time where you and I would be reunited. Being separated for ten years is something that practically destroyed me. I didn't know whether you were alive or dead and with Dad disappearing... I went into hiding, but I never once forgot about you until Madame Odius wiped my memory. Once I got those memories back, I can't tell you the strength of the relief and happiness I had felt when I realized my little brother had been within arms reach this entire time."

"Really?" Brody couldn't bare to look Levi in the face, feeling ashamed that he could ever think so lowly of his brother.

Levi, sensing Brody's self-pity, gently coaxed his chin so that they were looking at each other. "Yes, Brody, really. When you told me about what had happened to you... that you were a prisoner on the Warrior Dome for ten years... I felt so guilty at not being there for you. Even with the little time that I was held there, I know the kind of hell they put you through. That thought alone made me feel even more guilty. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Brody, but this time I'm here to stay."

Brody couldn't help the smile that formed on his face."I'm sorry for not telling you I wasn't feeling well."

"Now that is something I'm still mad at you about," Levi told him.

Brody winced. "Am I about to get the lecture of a lifetime?"

"Oh, you bet." Levi nodded.

Brody just sighed. Brothers will be brothers, even when you have to kick them in the ass for doing something so stupid. But, looking at things as they were in the present moment, Brody still wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

 **Alright, I will admit that this is something that I kinda enjoyed more than I thought I would. I mainly wrote this because my cousin requested it and since her birthday was coming up, who am I do deny her?**

 **Anyways, I hope y'all enjoyed this!**

 **Was it good? Was it bad? Feel free to let me know!**


End file.
